It's not just that though. Our ball carriers are so static, both in terms of the backs and forwards. Agreed that the ball hasn't been quick, but if he had anyone actually running hard dynamic lines round the corner at least he would have options to hit. Not a single person seemingly running a hard dynamic line. At times he has picked the ball up and just has no options. Kind of the same for the backs, one nice strike move of the line out created space but beyond that set piece move its like the backs have little idea or structure. Just ship it down the line and let the Worc defence drift and hit. Tough to see us making a line break - plan seems to be meander through a lot of phases and hope Lewi does some magic. Hard to see an attacking game plan / structure here...

No creativity in attack and no defensive structure. The signs are that the players have given up belief in any of the plans or tactics we may or may not have had. Itís really sad to watch and embarrassing. Itís one thing to go down fighting but another to stand still and let it happen.

They tried to say that defence wasnít down to coaching, who else is it down to? Danaher is a £hite defence coach. Conceding so many from first phase. no one at Irish has ever had the ability to actually be honest and say what the problem problem is

Worcs 23 Irish 8,,,,,,as the lookout said on the Titanic...Iceberg, what Iceberg?....I think its time Nick Kennedy and his team depart and lets get a Coaching team who can get a team playing,no wonder our support is dwindling.

Even though we have plenty time to get some wins under our belt, tonight would have done an awful lot of damage to the squad. How do they go into training and listen to the likes of hodgson and danaher who are in charge of our weakest areas.
Iím resigned to relegation already, makes Christmas a bit easier. With the young lads we have, thereís still a future but if theyíre not contracted properly and nurtured by proper coaches then theyíll go onto to be winners in other clubs colours.

They are a young coaching team who desperately need help. Please please please get them some experienced support if we are going to stick by them long term. The Venter situation seems just like the Edwards debacle when things just got worse rather than better.

We are simply not good enough.... the bench made a difference- Tiks, Woolfstoncroft, lovejoy, Noggers, Steel all made a difference mostly because of the energy and passion they brought. Need changes and must take risks from now.... nothing to lose.

Sm1lerThey are a young coaching team who desperately need help. Please please please get them some experienced support if we are going to stick by them long term. The Venter situation seems just like the Edwards debacle when things just got worse rather than better.

Exactly, they are all inexperienced. You can carry one but to have three is just silly. A big mistake was made when they decided on this insular strategy despite Bob Casey's pronouncements on it.

I just dont understand why we play so static and slow, it must be a coaching decision as it is almost 100% of the time until we change the 9 and then suddenly the delivery speed increases.

The downside with this gameplay is that by the time we decide to speed up the delivery, the ball carriers are so knackered from the hard work in the first 60 minutes there is no-one to burst over the gainline.

Story of the season really. Loads of possession and territory but never look like winning the game and conceding off first phase.

Injuries really mounting as well as they did the last time we went down.

Lose against Newcastle next week and we should give Parton, Loader, Brand and Curtis-Harris a shot at AP rugby.

Steele upped the tempo when he came on, but we still need more dynamism up front and in the midfield. The injuries Hobbs-Awoyemi and Mcnally have really hurt us. Assume Hoskins is injured too and hope it's not serious.

A neutral here - why on earth did the coach, (whoever) decide to bring on three complete green horn front rowers, all at the same time, at a crucial stage of the match. Of course they are going to **** up ! They needed to be drip fed in so the experience was still there to help them.

Time for change. We are effectively relegated but there is still 11 games to play (we are at the half way point). If Malinder is interested then the club should find the funds. He will also want the current coaching staff replaced including Ventner.

We need to quickly get to a point where we have a chance of wining at the start of a game.

The best running lines in our back play came from Blair when he had to cover for Bell. Suddenly with quick ball from Steele and Blair on the crash ball we started making them have to think about their defence.

Sm1lerThe best running lines in our back play came from Blair when he had to cover for Bell. Suddenly with quick ball from Steele and Blair on the crash ball we started making them have to think about their defence.

HangoverA neutral here - why on earth did the coach, (whoever) decide to bring on three complete green horn front rowers, all at the same time, at a crucial stage of the match. Of course they are going to **** up ! They needed to be drip fed in so the experience was still there to help them.

It's what happens when the manager doesn't have experience and therefore relies on preplanned game plan ie doesn't have the ability to think according to the situation. Before that the scrum was holding it's own and should have only been changed out of necessity. Another argument for all players being to play a full 80 minutes not 60.

For the first time this season I noticed considerable strain on the face of Nick Kennedy, it cannot be good for him or his health. It would not surprise me if the three of them stood down very shortly. Unfortunately it is to late already. No way back now unfortunately.

I am very tempted to just give up now. If it wasn't for buying a ST, I'd simply go and find something else to do on a Saturday. I love this club but it's getting to the point where I can't remember what a win feels like.

I don't actually think think this is the players' fault - its down to the coaches and obvious lack of a solid game plan. Also, I'd like to know what Venter has done. Kennedy's post match interview with BT suggested heavily he is at Irish for the long run...

For anyone interested, I believe there is some sort of fan-meet before the Newcastle game in the hotel - presumably the club are going to "reassure us we are heading in the right direction" as they often do.

Oh well, it's only a game. And 52 players' jobs.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 23/12/2017 08:14 by London Irish 'til I die.

I will be spending the match days elsewhere next season. Have had quite a few great days over the last 21 years but have reached the end of the road now and will not be renewing our two season tickets next year. I fear for the future of this great club.

Likewise TSR, 20yrs S/T holder with family and friends, great times and memories, but canít watch anymore of the current dross, the thought of more championship rugby and the potential move to Brentford.

Funnily enough, it's not the thought of Championship rugby which will mean that I won't renew - I enjoyed last season a lot, not just the winning, but the visits to some great traditional clubs - it's the combination of seriously disappointing rugby week after week, plus the way that the move to Brentford has been positioned that has done it for me, with zero communication and perceived commitment to the Reading 3000.

Theres nothing in this team, bar Lewington that says we are Premier League.We are almost doing a London Welsh job.We buy has beens on their last legs, or budget players and with the poor coaching team look where we are, a reflection of what we bought and managed, bottom of the league playing poor amateur rugby.

We are worse than the Gary Gold era, as good as Tom Coventry era...its just freefall.

One of the most criminal things we kept doing was ineffectivly using slow ball. Giving up and sending out wide with no support to be turned over. Or a good kick would be put in behind the wing but there would be nobody around to chase. Due to the forwards scrapping close to the ruck. Then the ball flashing out faster than they can support.

The more I watch now. The more I see 15 good players with no connection to each other in terms of strategy on the pitch... so they try whatever they can when they get the ball... There's 15 different game plans on the pitch at one time...

With reference to the above, reminds me of the Ireland team pre Brian 'O' Driscol days.One of the pundits when asked why Ireland lost most of their matches in a given period given their strength in depth, pundit replied Ireland have 15 good players, the only problem there are 15 captains in the team on the pitch at any one time.

HorticbmWith reference to the above, reminds me of the Ireland team pre Brian 'O' Driscol days.One of the pundits when asked why Ireland lost most of their matches in a given period given their strength in depth, pundit replied Ireland have 15 good players, the only problem there are 15 captains in the team on the pitch at any one time.
WE NEED LEADERSHIP!!!

Ireland didn't have a lot of depth in the 90s. A lot of deeply average players got capped, so would be interesting to know the context there.

I tend to think that the reality is that a lot of our players aren't as good as people think they are (at least not by AP standards). Sure, coaching is an issue, but I don't think clubs will be fighting over too many of them when we go down.

HorticbmTheres nothing in this team, bar Lewington that says we are Premier League.We are almost doing a London Welsh job.We buy has beens on their last legs, or budget players and with the poor coaching team look where we are, a reflection of what we bought and managed, bottom of the league playing poor amateur rugby.
We are worse than the Gary Gold era, as good as Tom Coventry era...its just freefall.

Theres nothing to hide, we are awlful

I would add Marshall, De Chaves to Lewington. There are also quite a few that in a better setup would be up there. I really rate Marshall but he doesn't have enough quality around him.

I still think the collegiate coaching setup with no real bite is the biggest problem. With the right coach I don't think we would be on our own in the basement.

We have too many average players, itís been an issue for us for about four/five years now. I know budget has plenty to do with it but players also know where they want to be playing their rugby, itís not us.From our current starting team:
15. Bell, he was a squad player at tigers. To me he is a big boot, heís done nothing to show he has anything else to offer.
14. Lewington. Class player, future prem winner I imagine. Not keeping him
13. Ferg. Been a stalwart in the team but I doubt heíd get in any other prem team. Effort is there for all to see but he has limitations that are exposed when surrounded by mediocre players.
12. McLean. Journey man who seems to have had a solid international career but a pretty irrelevant club career.
11. Joe has the goods, but wonít see any of it unless he gets a proper coach to work with him.
10. Marshall is a smart operator, plays whatís in front of him, typical kiwi. Surrounded by mediocrity which renders him ineffective
9. Steele. Solid but I donít think heíd get in any other team.
8. Trev, plays hard every time but his best years are gone. Still throws himself about. Other clubs would have let him go by now.
7. Cowan, consistency is his middle name. Thank god we have him.
6. Coman, another keeper, exactly what we need but canít do everything
5. De Chaves. Would be more effective with better players around him.
4. VDM played well but he wonít be around for long. Will need replacing next season
3. Franks. Solid last season which is what we needed. Hasnít had the effect that we probably hoped he would. This season hasnít been a great showing, slowed down a lot. Was great in the loose last year.
2. Paice. No lack of effort but nothing to show for it. If dawiduik was fit he would have been our starter.
1. PdP, hasnít worked out at all.

For me only about seven are decent enough to be playing week in week out. The rest would be squad players or championship players.

We also have a few that simply arenít as good as we think they are.
Williams hasnít kicked on at all. We wonít know if thatís down to him not being as good as we thought or if itís down to no backs coaching.
Fowlie. I donít think any other prem team would chase him. Works hard and runs a lot but to little effect. Same issue, is it him or the coaching.
Theo, to me simply isnít a ten. Hasnt developed at all after promising so much.

We have some genuinely exciting young players coming through which would flourish when coached by a qualified backs coach. We just need to make sure we keep them.

Itís not a disaster at the club, but we never make the correct changes. Itís shocking the players weíve let go who still offered plenty.
Tagi got picked up by a very good wasps team, Thompstone is always starting a tigers,
Short left us and won the prem again.

The guys who refused contracts, many left because they knew we werenít a club striving for success. As much as we slagged Goode, in his podcast he told the story of training at irish. He knew we were going down before the season even started. Ambitious players will steer clear. The ones we had left in a hurry.

Changes needed, just start making the right changes for once. Plenty good going on, just donít se it because of the poor results. Proper coach, no more sentimental contracts.

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